God Can Use a Museum

My family and I recently had the opportunity to preview the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. with a group from I Am Second. I had very high expectations from all the things I’ve read about the design of the museum and we were not disappointed. The museum is definitely for such a time as this to shine Light into our nation’s capital.

What struck me the most about the Museum of the Bible is that it is not solely a history museum like so many other museums. Yes, it includes history, but it also does a beautiful job of illustrating how the Bible is impacting our world today…in real time. If we believe the “Bible is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword” and able to penetrate deep into hearts (Hebrews 4:12), it is refreshing then that the Museum does such a fantastic job of highlighting current events and how the Bible is impacting our world today.

Every floor of the Museum’s six levels has been thoughtfully planned. Whether you want to walk through a replica of what it would have been like to walk the streets of Nazareth during Jesus’ time, see a flyover of fifteen highlighted scripture references in D.C., record a message of how the Bible has impacted you personally, read about persecution and revivals throughout history, see biblical artifacts, or eat at the café with its biblical inspired food offerings, you will not be disappointed. From the moment you enter the large golden doors featuring a reproduction of a page of the first ever Guttenberg press Bible, you are on a journey. Those who saw the vision and birthed this dream hope that everyone who walks into the Museum will be changed simply by experiencing the Bible through every single one of their senses. Subtle things like the floor tiles at the front door moving from dark to light as one’s eyes experience the Truth. Quotes from people whom many may not even know were/are Christians. The impact of the Bible on fashion, media, and government is undeniable.

One of the most impactful exhibits for me was the IllumiNations room. In this library-like room, hundreds of orange and yellow books line the shelves. What do these orange and yellow books represent? People groups. People groups who either finally have a New Testament Bible translation in progress (orange books) or who have never had any portion of the Bible translated in their native language (yellow books). It’s one thing to talk about the unreached people groups of the world, but to stand in a room with all of it in your face is something else altogether. People are in those books. Lives are in those books. Even now as I type these words, the tears burn my eyes because what I take for granted every single day…eternal life, hope, and God’s Word...has not made its way to so many people in this world. No wonder Jesus can’t return. We haven’t done our job. I’m so grateful for the work of IllumiNations for working tirelessly to translate Bibles. They are working hard, and they have a lofty goal of 2035ish to have a Bible translation available for every people group, but there’s going to be a lot of people who die without knowing the Word before that time. What are you willing to do to speed this up?

I’m proud to know my family has committed to being Founder Members of the Museum of the Bible. It opens this week (November 17, 2017) and I know it is going to be used to shape history. I was amazed at how many people who live and work in D.C. don’t even know the Museum exists yet. One of our Uber drivers, when we mentioned to him that the Museum was our most favorite thing we did while we were there, said, “Oh, it must be very small.” I kind of chuckled as my husband responded, “Oh no, it’s not…” and went on to explain the size of it all. To the unbelieving world, God seems small, but to the believing world, He is immeasurable.

The Director of the Museum shared a story with us. The Museum has had dignitaries and other museum directors from around the world pop in to see the Museum (including the Director of the Louvre who said the Museum was the best museum he has ever seen). One recent dignitary from Israel, who didn’t even know Jesus was Jewish, said she “finally understands the link between Judaism and Christianity.” Amazing what God can use to open the eyes of those who don’t believe.

Be in prayer for the Museum as it seeks to share Truth with visitors who step through its golden doors. And if it is in your reach, make a trip to visit the Museum. You won't be disappointed.